Shayne O’Cass’s extended preview and tips for Rosehill Gardens
Daily Telegraph form analyst Shayne O’Cass examines every race for Group 1 Coolmore Classic Day at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday to point you in the right direction to finding a winner.
Daily Telegraph form analyst Shayne O’Cass runs the rule over every race, including suggested bets, for Saturday’s Group 1 Coolmore Classic meeting.
The Form: Complete NSW Racing thoroughbred form, including video replays and all you need to know about every horse, jockey and trainer. Find a winner here.
ROSEHILL
Track: Good 4. Rail: True.
RACE 1
Overview: Sara Ryan broke new ground with a Randwick win to Much Much Better the other day and could tick off one at Rosehill on the weekend with the in-form but badly drawn on-pacer Prince Invincible. Border Control might be looking for 1200m. Dundeel mare Miss Einstein is so well-bred she’ll probably be at stud this spring but she could easily pay for her service fee between then and now. First run here on the weekend for Sam Kavanagh who must be pleased with the trials and thrilled with the barrier.
The Bet: Miss Einstein each-way
RACE 2
Overview: Introducing is a half to Eleven Eleven and did a good job to win on debut on a Heavy 8 off one trial. Talindert winner Maharba was fourth in the Golden Gift on debut when David Payne had him. Shinzo has done nothing wrong in his two starts. Gustosisimo is a ready-made racehorse. Godzilla was set aside after his hugely creditable third in the B J McLachlan on Christmas Eve. The horse races in the same colours as Signore Fox and not an entirely dissimilar horse on pattern and talent.
The Bet: Gozdilla to win, exacta 8 to beat 11
RACE 3
Overview: James McDonald is three from three on Finepoint so his booking on Saturday is of huge significance. The daughter of Pins has some compelling, bordering on fabulous, numbers to keep the record intact. All we can add is that she trialled very well indeed. Just a week away from the Golden Slipper, no more apt time then Forensics’ grandson Tamerlane to strike. This is the horse remember who debuted in the 2020 Black Opal (and ran okay). Mark him down as a proven first-up flyer.
The Bet: Finepoint to win
RACE 4
Overview: Tiz Invincible was a $550,000 yearling; that’s a bit much to call a ‘steal’ but ask yourself, what is a Group winning I Am Invincible filly out of a mare who is herself a half-sister to Anamoe worth? Trials like a world beater. Let’s see how she goes on race day. Steel City’s two Rosehill runs have both been seconds, one to Red Resistance, the other to Learning To Fly. That’s Slipper form. Bad luck aside, surely barrier 1 is a plus. Speaking of barriers, Blanc De Blanc’s have been 2 of 4, 11 of 11, 12 of 16, 10 of 11 and now 13 of 16. How good is she to have won one and placed the other three times.
The Bet: Tiz Invincible to win
RACE 5
Overview: Clemenceau has drawn barrier 1 33 per cent of the time but has drawn barrier 9 of 9 this weekend. Maybe he crosses over and it’s plain sailing or maybe not. Kalino will never be the best horse Chris Waller trains or the best to wear the Theseo/Sebring colours but he is Mr Reliable and, so far as Saturday goes, he is also Mr Run of the Race. Athelric is trialling well. I fancy Dalchini’s chances first-up in a fast run race, nothing warp speed, but quick enough for her to zoom home over the top. Big ask but it’s just huge odds.
The Bet: Dalchini to place
RACE 6
Overview: Zougotcha drew 14 of 18 in the Coolmore Classic but came up with a much more favourable gate 4 of however many ere in the Phar Lap, a race that Chris Waller has made his own. Her form speaks for itself really. Brosnan has raced in Listed/Group races at nine of his 10 starts and has performed admirably in most of them, eye-catching in a lot of them and from time to time was outstanding. He is beholden to tempo and such but if he gets a dry track and suitable run in transit, he is good enough to win.
The Bet: Brosnan each-way
RACE 7
Overview: King Frankel has been perfectly placed since he arrived in Australia. Mark Newnham hasn’t had him in a race he couldn’t win; that much is evidenced by the fact that he won four of five and was third at the other. Don’t know his ceiling yet but we’ll find out soon. Impossible to line up Protagonist but huge respect. Magical Lagoon is a daughter of Galileo and won the 2022 Irish Oaks which is an impressive C.V. Trialled up twice over 1200m, the last one was pretty good too.
The Bet: Magical Lagoon to place
RACE 8
Overview: Annavisto was born and raised at Nearco Stud in NZ, the same as Beauty Generation. This mare won the Frances Tressady last year and was runner-up in the Queen Of The Turf two starts later. She won the Tressady the other day and is straight into the Coolmore this time. Ruthless Dame had made some giant leaps in a short time; a bit like her jockey. Thousand Guineas winner Yearning needs tempo and needs the perfect ride. Guaranteed one of those on Saturday and with no weight; she could drop on them late.
The Bet: Yearning each-way, quinella 9,15
RACE 9
Overview: Waterford’s costly (for some) defeat first-up looks ‘good’ now given who beat him, namely Think About It. And with the greatest respect to ‘Sydney’s most progressive horse’, I am not sure Waterford would have lost if somehow he could have been on the outside but that was never going to happen from box 2. Caesars Palace has ‘never raced better’, so says the man who bred him and sees him every morning, namely A J Cummings.
The Bet: Waterford to win, Caesars Palace to place
RACE 10
Overview: Wineglsss Bay was building up to his first Australian win and it came at Canterbury a few Friday nights ago where he and James McDonald edged out Chateau Park. It looks like the runner-up is heading to Canberra for the Cup on Sunday whereas Wineglass Bay will try his luck from the wide gate on Saturday. Stroke Of Luck is bred on the world famous Fastnet Rock/Galileo cross and like all of them before him; he stays.
The Bet: Chateau Park each-way or if scratched get on him in the Canberra Cup on Monday.
Originally published as Shayne O’Cass’s extended preview and tips for Rosehill Gardens
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